Third time's a charm!
“Steno in the City” (SITC) kicked off its third annual Fearless Stenographers Conference in Long Beach, California, this past Spring, April 11th through April 13th. Court reporters, captioners, students, videographers, firm owners, steno spouses, realtors, attorneys, and accountants were in attendance, once again, demonstrating that “Steno in the City” continues to bridge the gap and foster collaborative opportunities by bringing the legal community and out-of-network associates together for a fabulous time!
On Wednesday, April 10th, 2024, to kick off the conference, “Steno in the City” held a pre-mixer event in downtown Los Angeles on the 51st floor of City Club LA overlooking California’s gorgeous skyline. Our honorary sponsors for the event were Urlaub Bowen & Associates and SPS Litigation Services. We offer a hearty thank you to both for your continued support of “Steno in the City”!
Legal Networking Event
This year’s Legal Networking Event took place aboard the elegant Entertainer yacht, providing a luxurious atmosphere and a celebratory tone for the evening. Against the backdrop of the eye-catching Long Beach Shoreline Marina, professionals and students alike let loose and had a fabulous time. Attendees were warmly greeted upon boarding the ship by the captain and crew who offered glasses of champagne to set the mood. Guests were then welcomed to the ship’s main deck by melodious saxophone tunes while a live DJ spinning popular hits lured people onto the dance floor on the upper deck. The steno community enjoyed three levels of entertainment and fun aboard the luxury yacht while a photographer and videographer captured an array of memorable moments.
The lively, upbeat event provided a fantastic evening for all, including steno spouses, the number of which continues to grow each year. Witnessing our steno professionals convening to network with and embrace students in conversations and good times aboard the private yacht was truly a remarkable and unforgettable experience.
“Steno in the City” will continue to open our doors for the legal community to participate in our networking events. Aboard the yacht were Assistant Attorney General Allison Alier from the State of Colorado and Cory Chinn-Lang, Warner Bros. Entertainment attorney. A special thank you to Judy Bundy-Bellinger for inviting her connections to be part of our event United we stand!
Fearless Stenographers Conference: Day 1 & 2
Seminar Sessions
Prior to the networking event of Thursday, April 11th, 2024, we held our third annual “Speed in the City” stenographic contest which was hosted by the illustrious Allie Hall.
The first session of the conference, “Laptops for Legal Proceedings,” garnered rave reviews. Tim Faulk truly captivated the audience, delivering an informative and exciting presentation on technical aspects of the court reporting profession.
Friday, April 12th, 2024, the second day of the conference, commenced with an impressive lineup of speakers. Moderator Kerry Murphy, CA CSR, RPR; Allie Hall, RDR, CSR, CRR; and Shacara Mapp, RMR, CRR, FCRR, shared different aspects of “Steno in the City’s” core missions. Their discussions on “Serving, Advocating, and Leading in the Court Reporting Profession” served as powerful inspiration for our attendees, encouraging them to step up and become active supporters of our industry.
The Exhibitor Hall
This year’s conference featured a total of 13 vendors, including the SITC booth. If you were a Gold Tier sponsor or higher, your booth was included in your sponsorship package. In order to support our small businesses and organizations within the court reporting profession, five vendors were each awarded a complimentary booth. Those who were considered for the gift were required to have been small businesses and supporters of “Steno in the City” from its inception.
Steno United Reception – Cupcake & Cocktails
“Cupcakes and Cocktails” was the theme for this year’s Steno United Reception. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Regina DeMoville, who helped sponsor the champagne that our guests enjoyed.
We truly appreciate you, Regina!
Steno in the City wants to now give gratitude and thanks to our 2024 Fearless Stenographers Conference sponsors!
To the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Court Reporters, Steno in the City’s 2024 Diamond Sponsor, thank you for your generous contribution! Your dedication as court reporters embodies excellence and is a true representation of Steno United!
Fearless Stenographers Conference – Day 3
The final day’s sessions on Saturday, April 13, 2024, elicited numerous pertinent, candid conversations, reflecting the transparency our profession deserves. The first module, titled “Court Reporters in Attorneys’ Eyes Only,” sparked a compelling, thought-provoking dialogue between reporters and our esteemed panel of attorneys regarding the intricate process of deciding when and when not to notate transcript parentheticals in specific situations in order to achieve accuracy of the record. The exchange led to a unique teachable moment, ultimately resulting in a triumph for both our profession and the attorneys with whom we collaborate. Moreover, Jessie Waack-Gorry, RDR, CRR, CSR, once again deftly facilitated a highly engaged audience as she shared invaluable insights into user-friendly gadgets that assist today’s reporters in their work. Her unveiling of these helpful hacks, designed to increase workload efficiency and maximize productivity through the effective utilization of cutting-edge tools and resources, was met with avid enthusiasm.
Awards Luncheon
The Prestigious Award
As always, this year’s Awards Luncheon provided many memorable moments as we took the opportunity to publicly acknowledge and express our appreciation to those in our profession who exemplify excellence. This year, we recognized a trail-blazing stenographer and firm owner who forged a path for future court reporters with her industry knowledge, diligence, and expertise. No one is more worthy of our respect than Donna Urlaub, a court reporter who has served our profession with utmost dedication for 55 years. Thus we honored Donna by bestowing upon her the Prestigious Award in appreciation for her significant achievements, fierce work ethic, and commitment to our profession for five-plus decades.
Congratulations, Donna. Well done!
“Paying It Forward” Mission
The Paying It Forward Stenographic Initiative, a nonprofit, was created in 2020 to perform random acts of kindness for court reporting students. A heartfelt thanks to the reporting professionals who have donated to this entity over the last three years. Your generosity has enabled us to be able to sponsor students and new professionals for convention attendance, testing fees, software upgrade fees, professional clothing, steno machines, laptops, tuition, and books.
If you would like to donate, please e-mail Allie Hall at allie441@gmail.com or click on the following QR code:
Scholarships
We would like to thank Paying It Forward for awarding selected students with scholarships. As part of the entry process, students were invited to submit an essay. We were pleased to announce that scholarships were awarded to the following individuals:
Steno in the City: Jewel Sponsorships
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our jewel sponsors for your invaluable generosity and support. Your contributions continue to be instrumental in ensuring the success of our “SITC” events. Steno in the City does not have annual membership dues like associations. Because of your backing, we have been able to achieve new heights and create memorable experiences for our attendees. Your commitment to our cause is deeply appreciated, and we are incredibly thankful for your partnership. We are pleased to report that, due to your support, we have garnered $7,975 in sponsorships.
Diana Van Dyke
Vanessa Stanton
Darlene Coppola
Annette Arlequin
Anne Mar-Lazo
Mia O’Sullivan
Josiane Goldman
Alyssa Pacheo
Karen Tyler
Virginia Dodge
Kelly Lawton
Kerry Murphy
Monica Lisa Jacobo
Lorraine Romin
Judy Bundy-Bellinger
Rebecca Romano
Victoria Valine
Karen Friedlander
Jacqueline Love-Kimbrough
Debbie Haren
Cindy LaCour
Doug Armstrong
Rachel Helm
Kensie Benoit
Claudine Hosang
Candice Andino
Catherine Siegler
Pamela Carle
Vicki Saber
Marlene Burris
Kori DiMattia
Rhiannon Smith
Danessa Loomer
Stacy Gaskill
Carrie Sheffeld
Mathew Moss
Matt Moss
Allie Hall
Kathleen Aimone
Constance Eisenberg
Pamela Goeppner
Erin McClure
Shaunise Day
Paige Hutchinson
Kendall Heath
Patricia Garrido
Jennifer Luu
Jorge Dominguez
Megan Granda
Debbie Hino-Spaan
LaVerne Reinhard
Tonia Harris
Sheretta Martin
Hilary Zive
Stacie Thomas
Nicole Lavigne
Mary Ricky
Aimee Edwards-Altdonna
Holly Thuman
Mark Banta
Ashley Milan
Jordan Mucha
Bertha Prieto
Sonia Trevino
Kimberly Xavier
SOS – Supporting Our Students for the 2024 Fearless Stenographers Conference. The Steno community sponsored 79 Students to attend the conference!
This year, we rallied and scored a remarkable achievement. Our court reporters, captioners, and steno community sponsored students to attend the Fearless Stenographers conference in Long Beach, California, sending a total of 79 grateful students to the conference! It was awe-inspiring to witness the profession come together for this important cause. Due to Pay it Forward, effective social media exposure, and Steno in the City’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, the reporters and captioners joined their efforts to make this possible. We would like to thank the following individuals for sponsoring a student:
Karen Tyler
Donna Urlaub
Kerry Murphy
Los Angeles Court Reporting Association
Andrea Ignacio
Judy Bundy-Bellinger
Pay It Forward
Victoria Valine
Rosalina Nava
Allison Hall Reporting Education
Margie Wakeman Wells
Jordan Mucha
Ashley Millan
Yolo County Courthouse Reporters
Anissa Nierenberger
Lorraine Romin
Bertha Prieto
Shaunise Day
Leah Willersorf
Diana Van Dyke
Donna St Clair
Zina Bailey
Sonia Trevino
Darlene Lamothe Coppola
Elga Hurtado
Kimberly Xavier
The Steno Group
Adriana Patron
Phyllis Craver Lykken
Steno in the City 2024 – Speakers
This year, we had an amazing roster of speakers who participated in our lineup. We would like to express our appreciation to the following individuals who had stellar seminar sessions:
Allison Ailer, Esq.
Allison M. Hall, RDR, CRR, CSR
Andrea, M. Ignacio, CA CSR, RPR, CRR, CCRR, CLR
Anissa R. Nierenberger, RPR, CRR, CRC, CRI, B.S. Realtime Reporting
Brandi Killingsworth-Ray, CSR (Keynote)
Brett Yorke, Esq.
Cheryl Haab, CA CSR, RDR, CRR, CCRR
Cindy Bowden, CA CSR, NV, TX CSR, UT, RPR, RMR, RDR
Denee Vadell, RPR, CCR-NJ
Desiree Cooks, CA CSR
Donna M. Urlaub, RMR, CRR
Jennifer Billstein-Miller, RMR, CRR, CCR-NJ
Jennifer Crisologo, CPFA®, PPC
Jessie Waack, RPR, RMR, RDR, NYACR, NYRCR, CCRR, TX CSR, CCR-NJ, CCR-WA, CA CSR
Judith Bellinger, RPR, CRR, TX CSR
Kathryn R. Sweeney, FAPR, RDR, CRR, CSR, LCR
Kensie Benoit, CA CSR
Kerry Murphy, RPR, CA CSR
Lindsay Stoker, RMR, CRR, CRC, CA CSR
Mary E. Pierce, CA CSR
Regina DeMoville, CA CSR, CRC, CCG (Keynote)
Shacara Mapp, MI CSR, RPR, FCRR, CRR, RMR
Shaunise Day, Founder of Steno in the City
Sue Terry, FAPR, RPR, CRR, CRC
Tim Fauk, Remotely LLC
Steno in the City Volunteers
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our jewel sponsors for your invaluable generosity and support. Your contributions continue to be instrumental in ensuring the success of our “SITC” events. With your backing, we have been able to achieve new heights and create memorable experiences for our attendees. Your commitment to our cause is deeply appreciated, and we are incredibly thankful for your partnership.
Wrap-up
The Steno United Photo Shoot captured our court reporters and students adorned in festive colors and winning smiles. Each year brings yet another opportunity to memorialize celebratory moments during the event for treasured keepsakes of our time together. This year’s photo-taking activities amassed a collection of highlights of the conference that we’re sure that attendees will forever behold and enjoy. Our apt photographer also took professional headshots of our guests which will be an asset when promoting themselves as the dynamic professionals they are.
We invite all newcomers to next year’s conference. Come network with us and acquire further education and knowledge in the field while celebrating the phenomenal professionals that you are! We hope to see you in New Orleans for 2025!
A Word of Gratitude
As yet another Fearless Stenographers Conference draws to a close, we would like to thank each and every attendee, sponsor, speaker, and volunteer for contributing to its success! Please know that it would not have been possible without us all being UNITED!
One Team. One Goal. STENO.
Steno in Style: Through our Steno in the City networking events, the steno podcast, retreats, conferences, and career fairs, we will continue to promote and protect the court reporting and captioning profession by any means necessary. Steno in style!
Promote our profession with items from our Steno in Style product line that keep steno front and center. Tab on over, and happy shopping!
